Aequationes Math.

76 (2008) 168–178 c Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, 2008

0001-9054/08/010168-11
DOI 10.1007/s00010-007-2923-5 Aequationes Mathematicae

On a gcd-sum function

Pentti Haukkanen

Pn
Summary.
P We consider generalizations and analogues of Cesàro’s formula i=1 f ((i, n)) =
d|n f (d)φ(n/d), where (i, n) denotes the greatest common divisor of i and n and where φ is
Euler’s totient function. Particular attention is paid to the unitary analogues of this formula.

Mathematics Subject Classification (2000). 11A25.

Keywords. Cesàro’s theorem, Pillai’s function, arithmetical expression, unitary convolution,

even functions modulo m.

1. Introduction

A theorem of Cesàro ([6], see also [13, p. 127]) states that, for any arithmetical
function f
Xn X
f ((i, n)) = f (d)φ(n/d) (1.1)
i=1 d|n

holds, where (i, n) denotes the greatest common divisor of i and n and where φ is
Euler’s totient function. In other words,
n
X
f ((i, n)) = (f ⋆ φ)(n) = (f ⋆ N ⋆ µ)(n) = (f ⋆ N ⋆ ζ −1 )(n),
i=1
P
where ⋆ is the Dirichlet convolution (defined as (f ⋆ g)(n) = d|n f (d)g(n/d)),
N (n) = n, ζ(n) = 1 (n ≥ 1), and µ is the Möbius function (see [2, 24, 35]).
Pillai’s arithmetical function β (see [26]) is defined as
n
X
β(n) = (i, n). (1.2)
i=1

The function β can be written

X
β(n) = dφ(n/d).
d|n
Vol. 76 (2008) Gcd-sum function 169

There is in the literature a large number of generalizations and analogues of

Cesàro’s identity (1.1) and Pillai’s function β. In this paper we review these
generalizations and analogues, provide five further unitary analogues (see Sec-
tion 3) and show that (1.1) can be generalized for even functions (mod m) (see
Section 4).

2. Ordinary divisor analogues

Let (m, n)k denote the greatest common divisor of m and n that is a kth power.
Kopetzky in [22] shows that
k
n
X n
X n
X X
βk (n) = (i, nk )k = ··· ((i1 , i2 , . . . , ik ), n) = dk φk (n/d), (2.1)
i=1 i1 =1 ik =1 d|n

where (i1 , i2 , . . . , ik ) is the greatest common divisor of i1 , i2 , . . . , ik and where φk

is the Jordan totient function (see [2, 24, 35]).
Let p1 , p2 , . . . , pu be arbitrary nonconstant polynomials with integer coeffi-
cients. Chidambaraswamy and Sitaramachandra Rao in [7] investigate the function
k k
n n
(u)
X X
βk,f (p1 , p2 , . . . , pu ; n) = ··· f (((p1 (i1 ), . . . , pu (iu )), nk )k ). (2.2)
i1 =1 iu =1

Sivaramakrishnan in [33] studies the following three related functions

k
n
X n
X n
X
k
Lk (n) = f ((ki, n)), Gk (n) = f ((i, n) ), Hk (n) = f ((i, nk )k ). (2.3)
i=1 i=1 i=1

Alladi in [1] studies the function

n
X X
β(r) (n) = (i, n)r = dr φ(n/d). (2.4)
i=1 d|n

Alladi there also studies the function

n
X
γ(r) (n) = [i, n]r , (2.5)
i=1

where [i, n] is the least common multiple of i and n. Gould and Shonhiwa in [14]
prove that
n
X n X 
γ(n) = [i, n] = dφ(d) + 1 . (2.6)
i=1
2
d|n

Gould and Shonhiwa in [14] study also generalizations of the function γ. Tóth in
[37, 41] studies Pillai’s function on arithmetic progressions and with respect to the
so-called exponential divisors.
170 P. Haukkanen AEM

Recently, Pillai’s function β has been extensively applied by Broughan in [4, 5],
Sándor and Krámer in [28, 30] and Schulte in [31], see also [3, 29]. Loveless ([23])
studies the gcd-product function.

3. Unitary divisor analogues

A divisor d of n is said to be a unitary divisor of n and is denoted by dkn if

(d, n/d) = 1. The unitary convolution of arithmetical functions f and g is defined
as X
(f ⊕ g)(n) = f (d)g(n/d). (3.1)
dkn

We denote the inverse of ζ under the unitary convolution as µ⊕ . The function

µ⊕ is referred to as the unitary analogue of the Möbius function. The identity
under the unitary convolution (as well as under the Dirichlet convolution) is the
arithmetical function δ defined as δ(1) = 1 and δ(n) = 0 for n 6= 1. Reference to
material on unitary convolution is made in [12, 24, 29, 35, 43].
Let k be a positive integer. We denote the greatest kth power divisor of m
that is a unitary divisor of n as (m, n)⊕,k . In particular, (m, n)⊕,1 = (m, n)⊕ .
The notion (m, n)⊕ is referred to as the semi-unitary greatest common divisor of
m and n. The function φ⊕ k (n) is defined as the number of integers a (mod n) such
that (a, nk )⊕,k = 1. In particular, φ⊕ ⊕
1 = φ , the unitary analogue of the Euler
totient function. It is well known that
X
φ⊕ (n) = µ⊕ (d)n/d. (3.2)
dkn

We define the function φ⊕ U (n) as the number of integers a (mod n) such that
(n, a)⊕ = 1. This function has not hitherto been studied in the literature. The
function φ⊕
U (n) can be written as
X
φ⊕U (n) = µ⊕ (d)φ(n/d, d), (3.3)
d|n

where φ(n/d, d) is Legendre’s totient function φ(x, n) defined as the number of

integers a such that 1 ≤ a ≤ x and (a, n) = 1. In fact,
n
X n X
X
φ⊕
U (n) = δ((n, a)⊕ ) = µ⊕ (d)
a=1 a=1 dka
d|n
X X
= µ⊕ (d) 1,
d|n 1≤b≤n/d
(b,d)=1

which can be written as (3.3) using Legendre’s totient function φ(x, n). The k-
analogue φ⊕ ⊕
k of φ is introduced here for the sake of (3.11). We could also consider
⊕
k-analogues of φU but this is omitted for the sake of brevity.
Vol. 76 (2008) Gcd-sum function 171

We denote the greatest common unitary divisor of m and n as (m, n)⊕⊕ .

The function φ⊕⊕ (n) is defined as the number of integers a (mod n) such that
(a, n)⊕⊕ = 1. It is known (see [16]) that
X
φ⊕⊕ (n) = µ⊕ (d)φ(n/d, d), (3.4)
dkn

where φ(n/d, d) is Legendre’s totient function φ(x, n).

We define
mn
[m, n]⊕ = . (3.5)
(n, m)⊕
Since (n, m)⊕ exists for all positive integers m and n, so [m, n]⊕ exists for all
positive integers m and n. If m|n, then [m, n]⊕ = n, the least positive integer d
such that m|d and nkd. This is our reason for reversing the order of m and n in
the denominator of the quotient in (3.5).
An arithmetical function f is said to be completely multiplicative if
f (mn) = f (m)f (n) (3.6)
for all m and n. For any arithmetical function f we denote
Xn
Ff (n) = f (i) (3.7)
i=1
and X
φf (x, n) = f (i), (3.8)
1≤i≤x
(n,i)=1

cf. [14]. For f = ζ, φf (x, n) becomes the Legendre totient function φ(x, n), and
for n = x, the Legendre totient becomes the Euler totient function φ(n).
Let K be a complex-valued function on the set of all ordered pairs (n, d),
where n is a positive integer and d is a positive divisor of n. The K-convolution
of arithmetical functions f and g is defined as
X
(f ⋆K g)(n) = f (d)g(n/d)K(n, d). (3.9)
d|n

If K is identically 1, then the K-convolution is the usual Dirichlet convolution,

and if K(n, d) = χU (n, d), where χU (n, d) = 1 if dkn, and χU (n, d) = 0 otherwise,
the K-convolution is the unitary convolution. For material on the K-convolution
we refer to [24, 29].
Tóth in [36, 38] studies the functions
n
X X
⊕
β(r) (n) = (i, n)r⊕ = dr φ⊕ (n/d) (3.10)
i=1 dkn

and
k
n
X X
βk⊕ (n) = (i, nk )⊕,k = dk φ⊕
k (n/d) (3.11)
i=1 dkn
172 P. Haukkanen AEM

as unitary analogues of (1.2).

In this paper we propose three unitary analogues of (1.2) (or of (1.1)) and two
unitary analogues of (2.6). These unitary analogues involve the numbers (i, n)⊕ ,
(n, i)⊕ , (i, n)⊕⊕ , [n, i]⊕ and [i, n]⊕ . Note that (n, i)⊕⊕ = (i, n)⊕⊕ . We could also
study k-analogues of our unitary analogues but we omit this study for the sake of
brevity and clarity.
We present the unitary analogues in Theorems 3.1 – 3.5.

Theorem 3.1. Let f be any arithmetical function. Then we have

n
X
f ((i, n)⊕ ) = (f ⊕ φ⊕ )(n). (3.12)
i=1

Proof. We have
n
X X n
X
f ((i, n)⊕ ) = f (d).
i=1 dkn i=d
(i,n)⊕ =d

Let i/d = j. Then we obtain

n n/d n/d
X X X X X
f ((i, n)⊕ ) = f (d) = f (d) 1.
i=1 dkn j=1 dkn j=1
(j,n/d)⊕ =1 (j,n/d)⊕ =1

Now, by the definitions of the function φ⊕ and the unitary convolution (3.1) we
obtain (3.12). 

Theorem 3.2. Let f be any arithmetical function. Then we have

n
X
f ((n, i)⊕ ) = (f ⋆ φ⊕
U )(n). (3.13)
i=1

The proof is similar to the proof of Theorem 3.1 and is therefore omitted.

Theorem 3.3. Let f be any arithmetical function. Then we have

n
X X
f ((i, n)⊕⊕ ) = (f ⊕ µ⊕ )(d)φ(n/d, d). (3.14)
i=1 dkn

Proof. Using that dk(a, b)⊕⊕ if and only if dka, dkb, we get
n
X n
X X n
X X
f ((i, n)⊕⊕ ) = (f ⊕ µ⊕ )(d) = (f ⊕ µ⊕ )(d).
i=1 i=1 dk(i,n)⊕⊕ i=1 dki,dkn
Vol. 76 (2008) Gcd-sum function 173

Let i = jd, where (j, d) = 1. Then we obtain

n n/d
X X X
f ((i, n)⊕⊕ ) = (f ⊕ µ⊕ )(d) 1.
i=1 dkn j=1
(j,d)=1

Now, by the definition of Legendre’s totient function φ(x, n) we obtain (3.14). 

Corollary 3.1.
n
X X
(i, n)⊕⊕ = φ⊕ (d)φ(n/d, d). (3.15)
i=1 dkn

Theorem 3.4. Let f be a completely multiplicative function. Then we have

n
X
f ([n, i]⊕ ) = f (n)[(µ⊕ f ) ⊕ Ff ⊕ ζ](n), (3.16)
i=1

where Ff is as given in (3.7).

Proof. Applying (3.5) and (3.6) we obtain

n
X n
X n
X X n
X
f ([n, i]⊕ ) = f (ni/(i, n)⊕ ) = f (n) f (i/(i, n)⊕ ) = f (n) f (i/d).
i=1 i=1 i=1 dkn i=d
(i,n)⊕ =d

Let i/d = j. Then, by the definition of the function δ, we have

n n/d n/d
X X X XX
f ([n, i]⊕ ) = f (n) f (j) = f (n) f (j) δ((j, n/d)⊕ ).
i=1 dkn j=1 dkn j=1
(j,n/d)⊕ =1

Since δ = (µ⊕ ) ⊕ ζ, we obtain

n n/d n/d
X XX X X X X
f ([n, i]⊕ ) = f (n) f (j) µ⊕ (t) = f (n) µ⊕ (t) f (j).
i=1 dkn j=1 tk(n/d) dkn tk(n/d) j=1
t|j t|j

Denoting j = tk and applying (3.6), (3.7) and (3.1) we obtain

n
n
X X X dt
X
⊕
f ([n, i]⊕ ) = f (n) µ (t) f (tk)
i=1 dkn tk(n/d) k=1
X X
= f (n) µ⊕ (t)f (t)Ff (n/(dt))
dkn tk(n/d)
X
= f (n) [(µ⊕ f ) ⊕ Ff ](n/d) = f (n)[(µ⊕ f ) ⊕ Ff ⊕ ζ](n). (3.17)
dkn

This completes the proof. 

174 P. Haukkanen AEM

Corollary 3.2.
n
X n X ⊕  n n
[n, i]⊕ = dφ (d) + 1 = [(N φ⊕ ) ⊕ ζ](n) + . (3.18)
i=1
2 2 2
dkn

Proof. From (3.17) with f (n) = n we obtain

n
X X X t n  n
[n, i]⊕ = n µ⊕ (t) +1
i=1
2 dt dt
dkn tk(n/d)

n X n X ⊕ n/d n X n X ⊕
= µ (t) + µ (t).
2 d t 2 d
dkn tk(n/d) dkn tk(n/d)

Applying formulas (3.2) and (µ⊕ ) ⊕ ζ = δ we obtain

n
X nX nX
[n, i]⊕ = (n/d)φ⊕ (n/d) + (n/d)δ(n/d).
i=1
2 2
dkn dkn

By the definition of the function δ,

n
X nX n nX ⊕ n
[n, i]⊕ = (n/d)φ⊕ (n/d) + = dφ (d) + .
i=1
2 2 2 2
dkn dkn

Writing this in terms of the unitary convolution we obtain the last expression in
(3.18). 

Theorem 3.5. Let f be a completely multiplicative function. Then

n
X
f ([i, n]⊕ ) = f (n)[((µ⊕ f ) ⋆K ζ) ⋆ ζ](n) (3.19)
i=1

holds, where K(n, d) = φf (n/d, d), see (3.8) and (3.9).

The proof is similar to the proof of Theorem 3.4 and is therefore omitted.
Haukkanen and Tóth in [17, 39, 42] study Pillai’s function with respect to
Narkiewicz’s regular convolution (see [25]). These functions contain as special
cases all the functions presented in (1.1), (1.2), (2.1), (2.2), (2.3), (2.4), (3.10),
(3.11), (3.12). We do not present the details here.

4. Even functions (mod m)

Let m be a fixed positive integer greater than 1. An arithmetical function f (n) is

said to be even (mod m) if
f (n) = f ((n, m))
Vol. 76 (2008) Gcd-sum function 175

for all n ∈ Z+ , where (n, m) is the greatest common divisor of n and m.

The concept of an even function (mod m) originates with Cohen (see [8]). Even
functions (mod m) were further studied by Cohen in subsequent papers [9, 10, 11].
General accounts of even functions (mod m) can be found, for example, in the
books [24, 29, 35]. For recent papers on even functions (mod r) we refer to
[27, 40].
It is well known that every even function f (mod m) possesses a representation
X
f (n) = α(d)C(n, d)
d|m

in terms of Ramanujan’s sum C(n, m), where

X
C(n, m) = exp(2πian/m).
a(mod m)
(a,m)=1

The coefficients α(d), where d|m, are unique and are referred to as the Fourier
coefficients of f . In [18] we show that
X
α(d) = m−1 (f ⋆ µ)(m/e)e. (4.1)
e|m/d

The following proposition is presented in [15].

Proposition 4.1. Let f (n) be an arithmetical function in n, and let S be a set

of positive integers. Then
X X
f ((a − n, m)) = CS (m/d, m)α(d)C(n, d), (4.2)
a(mod m) d|m
(a,m)∈S

where CS (n, m) is a generalized Ramanujan sum defined as

X
CS (n, m) = exp(2πina/m). (4.3)
a(mod m)
(a,m)∈S

Corollary 4.1. X
f ((a, m)) = (f ⋆ µ ⋆ N )(m). (4.4)
a(mod m)

Proof. Let S = Z+ . It can be shown that CS (m/d, m) = m if d = 1, and

CS (m/d, m) = 0 if d 6= 1. Thus, applying (4.2) we obtain
X
f ((a − n, m)) = mα(1)C(n, 1). (4.5)
a(mod m)

It is clear that C(n, 1) = 1 for all n. Applying (4.1) with d = 1 we obtain

X X
f ((a − n, m)) = m · m−1 (f ⋆ µ)(m/e)e = (f ⋆ µ ⋆ N )(m).
a(mod m) e|m
176 P. Haukkanen AEM

For any n (for instance, for n = 0) we obtain (4.4). 

Corollary 4.2. We have

X
(a − 1, m) = φ(m)τ (m), (4.6)
a (mod m)
(a,m)=1

where τ (m) is the number of divisors of m.

Proof. We obtain (4.6) taking S = {1}, f = N and n = 1 in (4.2). For details,

see [15]. 

Equation (4.6) is known as Menon’s identity, see [21], also [19]. For various
choices of S in (4.2) we obtain some analogues of Menon’s identity; for example,
the analogue presented in [34]. Note that (4.4) is the same as (1.1). Equation
(4.2) thus puts Pillai’s function and Menon’s identity (and some analogues) under
the same roof.
Sita Ramaiah in [32] studies even functions with respect to Narkiewicz’s regular
convolution (see [25]) and obtains a formula, which can be shown to be a common
generalization of (1.1) and (3.12), see also Haukkanen and McCarthy [20]. We do
not present the details here.

Acknowledgement. The author wishes to thank the two anonymous referees,

who substantially improved the manuscript.

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Pentti Haukkanen
Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Philosophy
University of Tampere
FI-33014 University of Tampere
Finland
e-mail: mapehau@uta.fi

Manuscript received: February 11, 2007 and, in final form, July 17, 2007.